The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its supporting warships are sailing in the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran, giving President Trump the option of launching airstrikes in response to Tehran’s brutal crackdown on protesters.
Along with the USS Lincoln and its attached air wing, the guided missile destroyers USS Frank E. Petersen, USS Spruance and USS Michael Murphy are under the operational control of the Middle East-based U.S. 5th Fleet.
On Sunday, the London-based Iran International news agency reported that security forces in Iran have killed more than 36,500 protesters since the demonstrations began in December. Mr. Trump’s primary red lines regarding Iran include the mass execution of protesters and the killing of demonstrators.
He has threatened “very strong actions” if those lines are crossed.
Mr. Trump said last week that the U.S. would send a “massive” fleet heading toward Iran “just in case,” but added that the formidable armada may not be needed.
The deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that Tehran is ready to deliver a “severe and regret-inducing response” to any hostile move by the U.S. or any other enemy.
Brigadier Gen. Ahmad Vahidi told the state-owned Tasnim News Agency that Iran’s defensive capabilities have dramatically improved since its 12-day war with Israel in mid-June 2025. The U.S. carried out bombings against Iranian nuclear facilities in that clash.
“Iran emerged from the 12-day war even more powerful than before, while Iranian fighters in the Army and the IRGC became more capable and resolute,” Gen. Vahidi said over the weekend. “The day will come when the oppressive United States and the usurping Zionist regime will be brought down.”
Officials in Tehran insist they are prepared for any attack by the U.S. or Israel and said they would respond in kind.
“If there is any aggression by the U.S. or Israel, it will be met with a more painful and decisive response than in the past,” said Defense Ministry spokesman Reza Talei-Nik, according to Iran International. “If the enemy takes a hostile action, it will fail more than before and face a heavier defeat.”
On Sunday, the Air Force said its Middle East-focused Ninth Air Force will be conducting a multiday readiness exercise to demonstrate its ability to deploy, disperse, and sustain combat operations in the Central Command area of responsibility.
“Our airmen are proving that they can disperse, operate, and generate combat sorties under demanding conditions — safely, precisely, and alongside our partners,” said Lt. Gen. Derek France, commander of Air Force Central Command, in a statement. “This is about upholding our commitment to maintaining combat-ready airmen and the disciplined execution required to keep airpower available when and where it’s needed.”
The exercise will allow Air Force officials to validate procedures for the rapid movement of personnel and aircraft, enabling aviation squadrons to operate at several dispersed sites while leaving a minimal footprint, officials said.
Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on Monday hinted that they were prepared to resume attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea as the USS Lincoln strike group moves into the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah paramilitary group, long affiliated with the IRGC, on Sunday threatened that any attack targeting Iran would result in a “total war” in the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday issued a warning to Iran, saying that any attempt by Tehran to launch attacks on Israel would be foolhardy.
“The capabilities of the axis of evil are far weaker than they were before the war,” he said at Israel’s parliament, the Knesset. “Any attempt by Iran to harm us will be met by a determined response. It would be a very big mistake, one mistake too many.”
On Friday, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that it would be ratcheting up the economic pressure on Tehran, citing the Islamic Republic’s “brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters” and the decision to shut down public internet access throughout the country to conceal its abuses against the Iranian people.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is targeting nine “shadow fleet” vessels and their owners or management firms that have collectively transported hundreds of millions of dollars worth of contraband Iranian oil and petroleum products to foreign markets.
“This revenue, which rightfully belongs to the Iranian people, is instead diverted to fund its regional terrorist proxies, weapons programs, and security services, instead of the basic economic services the Iranian people have bravely demanded,” Treasury Department officials said.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Iranian regime is engaged in a “ritual of economic self-immolation.” He said the process has been accelerated by Tehran’s decision to support terrorist groups over its own people, which has caused Iran’s currency and living conditions to be in free fall.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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